It just struck me right away and there is no underplaying the psychology involved. Buddy gets to look down at Lou while gets to look up at Buddy. Buddy -is- the undisputed King, but it just smacked of intentionality when I saw the stage set-up. Made me wonder how intentional it was. Buddy was showman, no doubt. It's just one of those 'details' that makes you wonder what the back story of it was, what went on behind the scenes to make it so. Maybe I'm just reading more meaning into it than is actually there... if Buddy didn't have that monster ego to go hand in hand with his monster talent, I never would have given it a second thought.John
John!
Monster ego? You can't be referring to Buddy, can you??!!
Slingerland badly wanted Buddy to play/endorse their drums.. BUT! .. Gene Krupa was TOPS at Slingerland, and had been for years. So Buddy said no... not until he could be #1 at Slingerland and get full billing as their number one guy. True to his word... he didn't hook up with Slingerland until GK was on his way out. Make no mistake here!, Buddy LOVED Gene! But this was business.. this was ego. This deal on The Tonight Show with Louie Bellson could have been the same type thing. I don't know that for a fact of course, but... past actions do give one pause.
Tommyp