My Favorite Magicians
I’m typically asked at events, “Who’s your favorite magician?” And my answer usually starts like this. “Well, you probably have never heard of them…”. So I thought I would introduce you to my top five favorite magicians. Even though I’ve numbered them, they are in no particular order… I love them all equally!
Let the countdown begin!
5. Dani DaOrtiz
Dani Daortiz is a Spanish magician who has studied under some of magic’s most remarkable minds, like Juan Escolano, Juan Tamariz, and Lennart Green. Daortiz has a unique approach to magic and a particular style. His use of humor and psychology makes him one of my favorite magicians to watch. I’ve watched and studied hours of his material and find new information in his work every time.
Please enjoy a sample of what Dani brings to magic. If you have time to watch the whole clip, please do!
4. Jay Sankey
Jay Sankey is one of magic’s greatest creators and has invented more tricks than any magician. His work has been performed by magicians like David Copperfield, Criss Angel, and Jason Silberman 😉. I learned most of my card magic from his DVDs when I started in magic and later dove into his more advanced material. At the time of writing this post, I’ll be getting the chance to attend his lecture at Tannen’s Magic Shop in NYC this coming Monday. I’ve never had the opportunity to meet him in person, so I’m very excited about this.
3. David Williamson
Another brilliant performer and creator. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Williamson perform many times, and each one leaves me in stitches. He’s hysterical, and the magic he does is very strong. He’s currently with the production Circus 1903 but has been a part of The Illusionists and a featured performer on Disney Cruise Lines. I attend a magic conference every year called MagiFest, and David is always in attendance. He’s about six and a half feet tall, so he’s tough to miss.
This is a great performance of his but it doesn’t do him justice. If you search “David Williamson magic” on YouTube, you’ll be greeted with a dozen other fantastic videos.
2. Joshua Jay
Josh is another great creator of magic as well as a fantastic performer. He’s also a very good friend of mine. I got the opportunity to work on Josh’s sold out Off-Broadway show, Six Impossible Things, for a year and a half. It was one of the best learning experiences of my magic career. He and Andi Gladwin (another fantastic magician) own Vanishing Inc., the world’s largest online magic store. Josh’s material is also practical, but he has so much thought put into every second of the routines. Below is one of the routines from the show that I got to work on.
Asi Wind
Asi is an Israeli magician and one of David Blaine’s go-to minds. Asi is not only a powerhouse of a performer, but also a brilliant thinker. His magic is some of the most mind-blowing I’ve ever seen. As of this post, he currently has a show in NYC called Inner Circle, which I’m excited to see this weekend. You simply have to watch him live to understand what makes him so amazing.