Position of Bass Player

I find it interesting that historically, as far as I can tell, bass players in big bands (and combos) were located in the crook of the piano, between the piano and the drums. This position placed the ride cymbal on the bass's left. In Canada, our bass players are often "stage left" of the drums, beside the high-hat. In my own band, I started the bass player there thinking that the sound of the high hat on 2 and 4 would help establish a groove as the bass often accentuates those beats in swing. In recent months, I have moved the bass player back between the piano and drums. I queried a drummer tonight over dinner. His opinion was that it is merely personal preference, i.e., does the bass player want to focus on the ride or the high hat? Thoughts?