Around 1990 I received a long distance introduction to Izzy from a mutual friend, historian Ron Cohen. Around that time, Izzy traveled to San Francisco, where I was then living, and my wife and I hosted him for a few days. We enjoyed wonderful stories of his youth in NYC, and of the Greenwich Village Folklore Center.

In 1993, Izzy returned the favor, and hosted me for a few days in Stockholm. Tom Paley, the great old-time musician (and original New Lost City Rambler), was also in town. One night, Tom, Izzy, and I went to the movies to see Harrison Ford star as The Fugitive. Here I am, I remember thinking, sitting with these folk revival legends watching this action movie. A strange experience it seemed, but why not? As I recall, Tom and I enjoyed it. Izzy--not too big on mass culture--seemed to think it was ridiculous. On that trip, for a nominal sum, Izzy sold me an original program for the Bob Dylan concert he promoted at Carnegie Chapter Hall, November 4, 1961, which was very poorly attended. It contains a Folklore Center "newsletter," one sheet, and a "bio" of Bob, which offered Bob's early BS that he was raised in Gallup, NM, and began playing carnivals at age 14.

I last saw Izzy in NYC in 2006, at a conference remembering the Friends of Old Time Music, a performance series he helped start in the early '60s. Izzy attended the program's evening concert with two beautiful dates, one on each arm. One was Suze Rotolo, his old friend, famous for her appearance on the cover of Dylan's Freewheeling album.

He is a true character.

Michael Scully
Austin