I hope that you have enjoyed Jazz Fusion. It is a very visual and stunning routine. Below are the details on how to perform this routine using cards from your working deck. You will also need a deck of blank faced cards whose backs match the cards in the working deck.
If you haven't done so, you should watch the video of the Jazz Fusion routine. Go to the home page and select VIDEOS.
Below this description is another routine from the diabolical mind of Dave Neighbors. It's called Jazz Formation. Click to jump to this fine routine (or scroll down).
GETTING INTO Jazz Fusion FROM YOUR REGULAR DECK:
Performing in the walk around or restaurant environment makes one think in more practical terms. I hate to get out a special packet of cards that cannot be examined. This just reinforces the assumption of the spectators that the magic is in the cards rather than in your hands. I really enjoy performing Jazz Fusion and have devised a way of getting into the effect from my regular working deck. The following is my attempt to make Jazz Fusion more practical for the restaurant worker:
REQUISITES: You will need a deck of blank faced cards whose back color matches that of your working deck. A double backer whose color matches the deck may also be useful.
SET UP: Remove 10 cards from the blank facer deck and put them away. Take the Jazz Fusion set (10 cards) and set them up in readiness to perform JF. Let's say that the face cards are Queens and the spot cards are black eights and nines. From the top down (face up) the JF cards would be: QH (blank back), QC, two blank facers, QS, 9C (blank back), 8C, two blank facers, 8S. Place these 10 cards face up on the pad and place the 42 blank faced cards face down on top. Take the top two blank facers and place them face-to-face. Put this "natural" double backer on the bottom of the stack. (Note: If you have a double backer that matches the deck, use it instead.) Place the deck into its case and you are ready.
ROUTINE: When you are ready to perform Jazz Fusion, remove the four queens and the black eights and nines from your working deck. Place the eight cards face up on the pad with the queens on top and the queen of hearts at the face. Remove the set up blank deck from its case and hold it face down in left hand dealing position as you explain that you need eight special cards. As you are explaining this, obtain a left 4th finger break above the gaffed QH (12th from the bottom). You can simply riffle up at the inner edge until you spot the card. The natural curvature of the cards makes it easy to find the location of the reversed queen. Your right hand then deals the top eight cards into a face down pile on the pad. You still haven't revealed the blank nature of the pack.
Now the right hand places the eight normal cards (four queens and four spot cards) face up on top of the deck. Explain that the deck contains blank cards as you flip the deck face up while executing a Turnover Pass. This moves the bottom stack to the top as the deck is turned face up. The spectators now see the face of a blank card. Spread the cards a bit to indicate that the entire deck is blank faced. Now flip the deck face down. This brings the face of the QH into view again only this time it's the gaffed QH. Everything appears as it should.
Remove the 10 Jazz Fusion cards from the top of the deck in a block. The spectators assume that these are the eight cards you just removed from the working deck. If you used a double backer in place of the face-to-face blank cards, you should corner short the card. This facilitates the ten card pickup. You now must switch the eight blank cards which you dealt face down for the normal Queens and Spot cards. Obtain a left 4th finger break under the last spot card i.e. under the 10th card. This is made easy due to the natural break created by the reversed packet of cards. The right hand now picks up the eight face down cards. There is a certain amount of suspicion regarding these cards since their faces have never been shown. The eight cards are now placed face up onto the face down deck in the left hand. The eight cards are cleanly spread, showing eight blank faces. Now, as you apparently flip the eight cards face down, you actually flip all 18 cards above the break face down. Immediately spread the cards and count down eight cards. These are the four Queens and four spot cards. Place the remaining blank deck face up off the pad to the left. Now place these eight cards (supposedly blank) face down into the card case as you explain that they will be needed later. You are now ready to perform Jazz Fusion as explained above only with a third climax!!
This time, at the end of Jazz Fusion, just before showing the cards to be blank, you explain that the Queens can do more than just trade places with the spot cards they can trade places with the blank cards inside the card case! Perform the actions of JF that make the cards appear blank. Now tell the spectators to open the card case and see what is inside. Of course they will find the missing queens and spot cards! During this interlude you can reset the JF gaffs for the next performance as follows:
RESET: Pick up the queen packet face up (blank showing on top) in left hand dealing position. Perform a double turnover. A back shows. Now the right hand takes the top card and places it face down on the pad as the left hand performs a wrist turn to hide the QH face. The right hand immediately takes the four cards in a Biddle grip and moves them into the left hand. The left 1st finger buckles the bottom card as the left thumb begins to peel the top card. The right hand pulls the two center cards to the right leaving the top and bottom cards in the left hand. The right hand immediately places its double card onto the tabled blank facer, taking it under the double. These three cards are immediately placed onto the double card in the left hand. This resets the packet for the next performance. The entire process takes only about three seconds. Place the packet face down on the pad and repeat with the spot card packet. Place the spot card packet face down onto the queen packet. By this time the spectators have removed the eight cards and found the missing queens and spot cards, confirming the killer ending. To completely reset, place the 10-card Jazz Fusion stack face down onto the face up blank deck to the left of the pad. Pick up the deck and flip it face down in left hand dealing position. Finally, double cut the double backer (either single card or faced blank cards) to the bottom. Place the deck back into its case and put it away for the next performance. The Queens and spot cards that the spectators have belong in your working deck.
FINAL THOUGHTS: There is a bit of work here but it's worth doing. The routine can now be done with cards apparently removed from your working deck instead of obtaining a packet of "special cards" which can't be examined. I'm now doing Jazz Fusion in the restaurant in which I work and it's killing them......
Jazz Formation
by David Neighbors
Effect: Peter Kane's "Jazz Aces" plot has seen a lot of variations since it was published in Another Card Session with Peter Kane (1971). What follows is a variation in which the four Jacks assemble one at a time, then as a "kicker finish," which David seems to love, the four Jacks that just assembled one at a time turn into the four Aces.
Setup: (from the face of the deck) red 8, red 8, red 9, red 9, red Ace, red Jack, black Jack, black Ace, black Ace, red Jack, black Jack, rest of deck.
Performance: Spread the top three cards to show four red spot cards (8's & 9's). Necktie the deck as your RH holds the spread in Biddle Grip (leaving it where it is). With your LH thumb, push over two cards in order to obtain a break beneath the red Ace. Your LH fingers slide the red Ace under the RH spread of four cards. Table the RH cards face up and spread. Four red spot cards will be seen, while the red Ace is hidden beneath the spread.
You now need to obtain a LH pinky break beneath the top six cards. You can necktie the deck and spread the top six cards to obtain this break, or you could have also been holding this break from the beginning. Another option would be to crimp the card following the setup in order to obtain the break easily.
Lift the six cards above the break
in RH Biddle Grip. Your LH fingers back spread the bottom two cards of the RH
packet (Jacks). Your LH thumb then rests on top of the RH packet. Move the RH
packet to the right, thus the top card will remain in place under your left hand
(and side off onto the left hand packet still spread). RH places its three cards
as one onto the LH spread. Grasp the top four cards (two Jacks with two black
Aces secretly between them) in RH Biddle Grip. You apparently take the Jacks in
the RH and table the deck with the LH. In reality, your RH holds the top four
cards in Biddle Grip and moves to the left to square the packet against your
left thumb. Your LH immediately performs a wrist turn and tables the deck face
down (with two Jacks secretly on the face of the deck). You are now holding four
squared cards face up in your RH in the following order from the face: black
Jack, black Ace, black Ace, red Jack.
Buckle the bottom Jack with your LH and transfer it to the face of the packet. Your LH fingers then slide under the spread of four face up red spot cards (and the hidden red Ace) and picks them up face up. Your RH should be holding the Jack packet face up in Biddle Grip. You apparently now square up both packets, turn the LH cards face down and table them. What really happens is that the RH packet is placed onto the right side of the LH spread. The RH packet is moved to the left and your RH fingers grasp the top card of the LH packet under the RH packet (in Biddle Grip). Rotate your LH wrist so the LH cards (now only four) are perpendicular to the table. Tap the left side of the RH packet against the face of the LH packet. Continue rotating the LH packet face down. Table the LH cards face down. You can spread them a bit if you wish because there are only four cards (as there should be).
The RH packet now consists of the following cards from the face: red Jack, black Jack, black Ace, black Ace, red Eight.
Flip the RH packet face down into LH dealing position. Deal the top card into the RH and table the card face down to the upper left. Thumb the next card into your RH. Your RH tables this card to the upper right, and at the same time your LH thumbs off the next card between the other two. You will be left holding two cards as one in LH dealing position. David turns these cards face up, then face down before placing them at the "leader position" of the standard T-Formation. The Double Turnover that David uses is the Stuart Gordon Double Turnover (Cardshark, p. 106). This Double Turnover was independently invented by Ken Simmons (Guarded Secrets Revealed).
Pick up the four face down cards (supposedly the red eights and nines). Double Turnover to show a red Nine. Turn the card face down onto the packet, and then thumb the top card (red Ace) face down into your RH. Place this card onto the Jack at the leader position (really two cards so be careful not to spread them).
With your left thumb, spread the remaining three cards. Your RH picks up the card at the upper right and without showing its face places it second from the top of the LH packet. Square the LH cards. Now flip them face up and perform an Elmsley count to show four red spot cards. Table the four cards face down to your left. With your RH, pick up the cards at the leader position in Biddle Grip. Your LH fingers contact the face card and side it out into your LH. Both hands turn over to show the faces of the two Jacks. Rotate both hands again to turn the cards face down. Replace the LH card beneath the RH double. Place the combined packet face down at the leader position.
Your LH picks up the four cards that you placed aside earlier (supposedly four red spot cards). Perform a Double Turnover to show a red spot card. Turn the double back down onto the LH cards, and then deal the top card face down into your RH. Table the remaining three cards face down with your left hand. Place the RH card onto the leader packet, then lift the combined packet in RH Biddle Grip. With your LH, buckle the bottom card and transfer it to the top to "bury" the card you just placed on the packet. Replace the packet at its leader position.
With your LH, pick up the three red spot cards that you tabled earlier as your RH picks up the next card in the row (it was the center card). Without showing its face, place it second from top in the LH packet. Again, turn the packet face up and perform an Elmsley Count to show four red spot cards. Table the packet face down with your LH.
With your RH, lift the leader packet in Biddle Grip. Your LH thumb lies across the back of the top card. Move your RH to the right. The top card will side off the packet and remain in LH Dealing Position. In a continuing motion, your RH flips the remaining three cards face up as one using the Gordon Turnover to show a Jack. Continue by flipping the RH card(s) face down onto the LH card. Deal the top card of the packet face down to the leader position. Grasp the packet in RH Biddle Grip. Your LH fingers maintain contact with the face card as your RH moves to the right. Rotate each hand to show two Jacks (you just showed one of these, therefore you are showing both at the same time to split their attention). Rotate both hands until the cards are again face down. Use the LH card to scoop up the card that was tabled at the leader position and at the same time place the RH double on top of those two cards. Square the packet and table it face down at the leader position.
With your LH, pick up the four cards that you tabled earlier (red spot cards). Perform a Double Turnover to show a red spot card. Flip the double face down and deal the top card into your RH. Table the remaining three cards face down with your LH. Place the RH card face down onto the leader packet, and then pick up the combined packet. You again will bury the top card of the packet. This time you do it slightly differently. Holding the packet in RH Biddle Grip, your LH fingers slide out the face card. Your LH thumb then lies across the top card and sides it onto the LH card. Place the remaining three RH cards onto the LH cards and replace the packet to the leader position.
With your LH, pick up the three spot cards as your RH picks up the remaining card of the row (it was the left card of the row). Place this card face down second from the top of the LH packet. You now show the LH cards to be four red spot cards with your LH only. Do that by first pushing over the top card with your LH thumb. Rotate your LH and place that card face up onto the table. Rotate your LH back palm up. Repeat that procedure three times to show the fronts and backs of each of the red spot cards.
Focus your attention to the leader packet now. Pick the packet up in RH Biddle Grip. Perform a Double Turnover of the top two cards to show a black Jack (notice that you name each Jack as you show them). Flip the double face down onto the LH packet before dealing the top card face down to the table.
You now repeat the display that you used to show the three Jacks in the leader position. That is done by resting your LH thumb on the top card of the packet. Your RH moves to the right holding the bottom three cards squared in Biddle Grip as the top card slides off the packet into LH Dealing Position. Perform the Gordon Turnover with the RH cards to show a red Jack. Flip the RH cards face down onto the LH card before dealing the top card face down onto the other face down card at the leader position.
Take the LH packet (three cards) from above in RH Biddle Grip. Your LH fingers maintain contact with the face card of the packet and moves to the left. Both hands now rotate to show the faces of the cards in each hand (RH is holding the double in Biddle Grip). Rotate both hands until the cards are again face down. Place the LH card onto the two at the leader position, then drop the RH double as one card onto the packet.
You have just shown the four Jacks travel to the leader packet one at a time and are now set to show that the leader packet now consists of the four Aces, not the four Jacks. To do that, turn the leader packet face up and perform an Elmsley Count.