Review of Noteworthy by David Gabbay

I was impressed with David Gabbay’s “Sanchez Fly” (please click here to read my review) and was looking forward to his book, “Noteworthy.” I wasn’t disappointed. Here, Gabbay teaches an assortment of close-up effects that are creative and varied.

In TacsMan, Gabbay teaches how to cause three coins - one at a time - to apparently pass into (penetrate) a closed Tic-Tac mint box. In the routine, he mixes the methods to keep spectators off guard. Who knew that the new recyclable material used in the latest Tic-Tac boxes would contribute to the method?

Sweet is Gabbay’s marked coin to sugar packet - a take on classic object to impossible place. A spectator marks a coin and it’s found inside of a sealed sugar packet. This one requires no prepared sugar packet as in many similar effects. I like it. More of a gimmick that you can make and use than an effect on its own, Window to the Soul provides a method to “instant stooge” a spectator to name a card and fool others in a group.

In Fair and Square, Gabbay shows that he’s always thinking and adapting. Here he cleverly adapts and incorporates a “Square” credit card reader for a smart phone into a card trick. In the process of finding the card, Gabbay deposits it into the “bank,” which is represented by a closed card box.

Clown Purse offers a visual bit of business whenever you need a sharpie. Here, a sharpie comes out of a tiny coin purse and goes back in. There’s one aspect that feels susceptible to angles to me - particularly if people are seated and I’m standing. But I won’t know until I try this one out. Coin Ninja offers Gabbay take on “karate coin.” You bring out a quarter and then smash your index finger through it. I like the routine, however, Gabbay does not restore the coin or offer any “clean up.”

Based on a brilliant idea by Alexander DeCova (permissions were requested and granted), Purse Time offers a signed card to impossible place but the card is sitting in plain view for the entire routine. In this case, it’s a mesh coin purse. (I’ve never seen such an item before and Gabbay says that they’re hard to find. But one can use the “tea bag” that DeCova originally used.) This one requires a special setting but it’s clever and good. If you like Jay Sankey’s “Paper Clip,” I think this is stronger as it doesn’t leave you as dirty.

Paper Prison offers a signed card to card box with two phases. First the signed card ends up under a card box that’s sitting on the table. In the second phase, the card ends up inside the box. Dizzy Tenkai (The Card that Falls Up) is a move that allows you to spin a card from your hand and even shoot the card straight up into your other hand. As the name implies, Gabbay's Coin Opener is Gabbay’s opener to quickly produce four coins. You pull out a coin purse and remove and lay down three “invisible” coins on the table. You pull a single coin from the purse and when spectators look back down on the table, the three invisible coins are quite real. It’s an excellent, visual opener.

For this book, you’ll need basic skills in card and coin sleights. In many cases, the vanishes, controls, forces and other tasks are left to your “favorite.” Gabbay writes in an entertaining style and the book features lots of pictures to assist you in learning the routines. There are also some brief and insightful essays on performing magic.

In “Noteworthy,” Gabbay shows that he is not only an accomplished technician, he is creative and has a good sense for crowd-pleasing magic. I found his book worthwhile as well as noteworthy.