As we all know, Harry Lorayne is his very own force.
Here’s a good observation from his Magic Book:
The heart of jazz is improvisation—”blow it as you feel it.” The same is true of close-up magic. That’s why I didn’t spend much time telling you which effect should follow which. This is called “routining.” All it really is, is common sense.
Well said, at least about informal close-up shows, I’d say.
Here’s an interesting comment by my magic friend Paco Nagata:
“Wise words from a wise magician quoted by another wise magician and blogger!
I would like to participate here a bit sharing some thoughts about it by an extract from page 31 from my amateur book:
Improvisation (known as “Jazz Magic”) is a too personal thing to advise anything about it, but I’ll tell you something very interesting that I discovered along my personal experience: you don’t need to improvise voluntarily; you’ll end up doing it without realizing it! Experience will tell you when you are ready to improvise. You will know it when you discover that you are improvising without even noticing it. I’m telling you that because it happened to me and some amateur friends of mine. The art of improvisation will come to you automatically, and if it hasn’t arrived it’s because you’re not ready for it yet or you just do not need it. Improvising does not mean being a “better” magician, but just a magician who works in a different way. Improvisation is not a step that must be climbed, but simply another resource. Don’t be obsessed about it (nor anything).
Thank you, Paco!
You can get Paco’s fine e-book The Passion of an Amateur Card Magician for free here. Read more about it here.
ZZZAUBER 
Wise words from a wise magician quoted by another wise magician and blogger!
I would like to participate here a bit sharing some thoughts about it by an extract from page 31 from my amateur book:
“Improvisation (known as “Jazz Magic”) is a too personal thing to advise anything about it, but I’ll tell you something very interesting that I discovered along my personal experience: you don’t need to improvise voluntarily; you’ll end
up doing it without realizing it! Experience will tell you when you are ready to improvise. You will know it when you discover that you are improvising without even noticing it. I’m telling you that because it happened to me and some amateur friends of mine. The art of improvisation will come to you automatically, and if it hasn’t arrived it’s because you’re not ready for it yet or you just do not need it. Improvising does not mean being a “better”
magician, but just a magician who works in a different way. Improvisation is not a step that must be climbed, but simply another resource. Don’t be obsessed about it (nor anything)”.