Al JAmes

As a life-long magic hobbyist, Al never considered performing magic for a living, but he’s been doing just that since 1971. After working as a radio disc jockey in Cleveland for a couple of years, Al made the move into sales which brought him to Chicago. He quickly discovered that a couple restaurants in town featured magicians and he soon became a regular customer, befriending the magicians and management. Shortly after his move to Chicago, the company that brought him here went out of business and he needed a job. It was at this moment when fate stepped in and changed Al’s career. The legendary bar magician, Heba Haba Al had injured his arm and The Pickle Barrel needed a temporary replacement until he was ready to return to work. The manager remembered that Al was looking for work, offered him the gig and the rest is history.

Over the years, Al performed in multiple Chicago Magic Bars, including Frank Everhart’s Magic Bar at the Ivanhoe Dinner Theater, New York Lounge, and Schulien’s. He wrote a book about the business of restaurant magic called, Conjuror at the Table, and has also performed at trade shows, colleges, sales meetings, and corporate parties.