[ Originally posted on Facebook 14 August 2015 ]
I’ve always had immense admiration for those who, while pushing forwards in their own skill-sphere, respect the greatness of those who preceded them. I also find myself increasingly moved to tears by the witness of excellence.
So finding a profile of magician Ricky Jay (‘Deceptive Practice’) on Netflix just now was doubly impressive (and yes, I do seem to be watching a tad too much TV these days, but in amongst all the shoot-’em-up dross there are plenty of genuine gems).
Here is someone who has spent a lifetime perfecting the art of legerdemain, but who shares also a Ray Mears-like (I don’t have many heroes, he’s one) reverence for the knowledge of those who went before.
In this stage-show clip, Jay typically pays homage to one of his own mentors and heroes, Max Malini, but watch this mostly for his breathtaking mastery of the cards . . .