Buddy may have been acerbic, moody, unpredictable, self-confident, and volatile, but pompous he was not.
He also toured his band tirelessly, playing at least 60% of his gigs at high schools to expose the next generation to jazz. He also threw a party for Gene Krupa when Gene was in the last stages of leukemia, and made sure all the jazz greats that Gene had played with had a chance to say good-bye. Heifetz and Horowitz were known in their lifetimes for a bit of arrogance as well, but they--and Buddy--represented the pinnacle of what could be done with their instruments.
