ISSUE 1038 INTERVIEWS INC: John Rieid, Chaka Demus & Pliers, The Bamboos, Smoove & Turrell, DJ Q and Caiti Baker.
 
LIVE REVIEWS:  Park Life Festival in Manchester, Nass Festival in Bath, Love Supreme Jazz Festival in Lewes, East Sussex and Holland’s North Sea Jazz Festivals in Ahoy, Rotterdam. We also review Jimmy Cliff's show at the Roundhouse, Lalah Hathaway at KOKO and Angie Stone, again, at Camden’s Roundhouse in London.
 
ALBUM/SINGLE REVIEWS: Candi Staton "Unstoppable", Kandace Springs "Indigo", Mac Miller "Swimming" Roger & Friends "Zapp VII", Shemekia Copeland "America's Child", Buddy Guy "The Blues Is Alive And Well", Elvin Bishops Big Fun Trio "Something Smells Funky Round Here", Manfred Mann "Manfred Made", The Magpie Salute "High Water I", Tony Joe White "Bad Mouthin’", "New Breed R&B"Various Artists, Wilko Johnson "Blow Your Mind", "Music City Blues and Rhythm" Various Artists, Get Physical "Word Don't Come Easy Pt.6", Groove Junkies & Scott K feat. Indeva "Higher", Tony Momrelle "This Isn’t Love", "Salsoul Sounds Familiar" Various Artists and Zepherin Saint & Miranda Nicole "Butterflies"
 
ARTICLE: Frank Elson presents a classic Checkin’ It Out review from July 1976 as he recalls his visit to the Yellow Lady in Warrington.
 
FEATURE: “The Blues & Soul Years...” Duncan Payne gives a rundown of music happenings as covered by Blues & Soul magazine in the 1983...a thriller of a year!
 
B&S COLUMNISTS THIS ISSUE: Richard Searling (Blues), Ralph Tee (Modern Soul), Jon Harrington (Blues), Ben Lovett (Dance) and Bigger (R&B)