In the decade following World War II a multitude of independent labels arose to meet the demands of a reinvigorated record-buying public. Among these was a handful that would help to redefine the sound of American Rhythm & Blues, replacing the big-band sound of the ‘30s with a rowdier style that appealed directly to a populace looking to celebrate the end of wartime hardships. Los Angeles’ Aladdin Records was one of the finest of these labels. This 53-track collection gathers together some of Aladdin’s greatest sides, beginning with the label’s inaugural release, Illinois Jacquet’s storming 1945 hit “Flying Home,” and ending with its second-to-last- charting single, Thurston Harris’ “Little Bitty Pretty One.” At Aladdin, the raucous New Orleans R&B of Shirley & Lee’s “Let the Good Times Roll” could coexist peacefully with the comparatively uptown sound of Tiny Grimes & Billie Holiday’s “Blue Turning Grey Over You”, and the harsh, unadorned country blues of Texas songster Lightning Hopkins. The Aladdin Records Story is a concise and smartly conceived introduction to one of the greatest labels of the post-war era.