"Nola Luck" (PDF) from the Trombone Shorty album, Say That To Say This.

You may already know my stance on bonus tracks by now: I do not like them.  Bonus tracks are unnecessary.  In most cases, bonus tracks are added on to an album as an incentive for the consumer to purchase a particular edition within the ongoing format wars.  The final product tends to be a disjointed artistic vision to the listener, especially depending on the type of bonus track that is included, such as a live recording or an unfinished outtake.  Obviously, the iTunes revolution has changed the way we listen to music, for better or worse, and these days individual songs seem to be more valuable, and profitable, than a cohesive album.

There is a timeless showbiz mentality of "Leaving them begging for more," to create a lasting impression that builds up the demand for the product.  It is the anticipation of the show which sells the tickets, not the encore.  Likewise, send the audience home on a high note rather than a less-than-great performance.  If the initial product is strong enough, then there will be an eventual demand for a collection of b-sides, outtakes, and rarities.  I know I would pay album price for that kind of "new" material instead of paying a little extra for a throwaway bonus track.

Yet, "Nola Luck" is not rubbish, it is just difficult to follow a stellar track like the intended album-closer, "Shortyville."  For instance, the trombone solo here seems to be more of a place holder that ended up as a happy accident, especially with the inclusion of the "bonus trombone solo" that plays behind it.  But it is in this second part that the most interesting thing happens: Shorty plays a bebop figure in the third measure that outlines a D7b9 chord, which resolves to the Gm harmony.  Go learn it, it's a neat lick.  And I can not wait until Shorty records a trombone album full of those bebop licks, I will be the first to buy it.

Until then, here's a YouTube video of Trombone Shorty jamming at last year's X-Mas Jam jam.

Recommended Reading: Go Home Santa, You're Drunk: Several short stories about Santa Claus by Justin Robert Young.