Dope Dogs (Japanese Version) (1995)

(Parliament - Funkadelic - P-Funk All Stars)

It starts off with the utterly brilliant "Dog Star (Fly On)", a heavy guitar tune that stands up to the best Funkadelic cuts ever made. It stars Blackbyrd, absolutely dominating the scene with amazing solo after solo.

Interview Guitar Center

We had Blackbyrd McKnight, who is an amazing funk player, just an amazing psychedelic wizard of the guitar.

By Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Time To Get Superfunkified

Fans of funk guitar will swoon over the fact that none other than Mr. Groove Central, Dewayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, is the guitar genius behind Socialibrium. McKnight, known for his work with P-Funk, The Headhunters and Herbie Hancock, was also the first guitarist to replace Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak after his death in 1988.

'Bout Funkin' Time

The greatest improvisational guitarist in rock. Period. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to indoctrinate a newbie into the dense musical stew of rock/funk/ gospel/ doo-wop psycheclica that is live P-Funk, only to have that person come out of the venue and ask the immortal question: “Who in the funk was that unfunkinbelievable axeman standing stage-left?!?”

Indeed. Mention the name DeWayne Blackbyrd McKnight in any round table discussion amongst jazz/fusion & funk purists and the mere thought at what this man’s body of work suggest sends shivers　into the earhole. Unfortunately outside of that circle, the name is less well know if at all, which is a travesty.

After a 30- year tour of duty as band leader of Parliament Funkadelic’s greatest show in rock circus, the Blackbyrd is　ready to spread his wings and “Fly On”. On any given night onstage with George, we found him ripping up and constructing new arrangements over such P classics as Atomic Dog, Pumpin’ It Up, Generator Pop and Dog Star. The Dr. would simply holla “Byrd” in that crusty, funky growl, next thing you know you had been taken into an outer metal spaceway with another mind-boggling 20 minute solo rendering these classic songs complete shred fests.

Byrd lives to play guitar. GC says, “don’t mess with his amp, when he wants to play he’s gonna play now and he’s gonna play loud”. By the time he debuted with the P on Funkadelic’s 1979 classic Uncle Jam LP and lead axe in the Brides of Funkenstein crack touring unit, he had already introduced electric guitarisms into the legendary Headhunters on the “Survival of the Fittest” album of 1975.

A straight-up Guitar God badass whose absence from Clinton’s bands is sorely missed. Byrd has now boldly taken off into his own territory and as these tracks attest, he takes you where no mere mortal has ever dared to tread while playing an axe.

His playing is so spontaneous that no matter how many times you’ve seen him do his thang in concert, no matter how many bags you’ve attempted to put him in, he naturally universally escapes categorization. Here he takes that live spirit and translates it into studio majik not yet found this side of Hendrix’ Electric Ladyland. These cuts sweat, bang and vamp hard with a wall-shaking, earth-rattling body-bumping snasty funk/metal groove.

From the time he launches into the definitive“Funkarockaholic”Byrd shreds, slices and dices thru 10 ear-splitting guitar jams that pounds the listener, in the know and uninitiated alike, into a frenzied state of ultra energetic satiation. He just　wears your ass out, when I finished digesting my first listen to this all I wanted to do afterwards is just roll over and take a deep breath. Dayum!!

And oh yeah, if you missed the Blackbyrd doin’ his thang with Clinton & Co. don’t fret, he just co-founded the experimental rock collective Socialybrium with Bernie Worrell and his back on the road with his own show as well. McKnight’s incredible musical journey has now come full circle and he is “Funkin Where You Belong”, dare to kick the volume up another notch, if you can hang.

George Clinton with Parliament Funkadelic

At Plush Nightclub on Sunday, March 4

In fact, one of the highlights came when Clinton left the stage with all the musicians save for a bass player, drummer, rhythm guitarist, keyboard player, and amazing lead guitarist DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, who rocked some psychedelic blues that would have sent our own decidedly unfunky Steve Newton into interplanetary overdrive.

Afrofunk Alchemy at Fais Do-Do

-but the wildest guitar solo this reporter's ever heard in 25 years of concertgoing was carved out by one Blackbyrd McKnight. It occurred at a jam session much like this evening's bill, about a decade ago at the old Music Machine, where McKnight was backing Thelonious Monster singer Bob Forrest. McKnight, a P-Funk mainstay who's also worked with Miles Davis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, was filling the room with these insane note flurries, ripping off the audience's collective head and slinging it 'round the galaxy. The notes flew endlessly from McKnight's frets, building to an anticipated apocalyptic finale, and we all might still be there waiting for it, except Forrest accidentally unplugged the guitar cord while stomping around the stage.

One Nation Under a Groove

George Clinton, Roxy, September 6

The psychedelic “Maggot Brain,” featuring guitarist Blackbyrd McKnight, was exceptional.

Socialibrium finds its groove in Aspen

ASPEN — It didn’t take long for Socialibrium to find its groove. In just its third show ever, Thursday night at Belly Up Aspen, the quartet was roaring on all cylinders — playing cohesively, and connecting with one another and with the audience without hesitation or strain.

Of course, the musicians have been at this awhile. Though the band is new, the players are not: Keyboardist Bernie Worrell, bassist TM Stevens, guitarist Blackbyrd McKnight and drummer Brain have played, together or separately, in such outfits as Primus, P-Funk and Les Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains, bands that have specialized in finding a certain kind of groove — aggressive, off-color, flamboyant.

 .....But as soon as Worrell finished flashing his technique, the band began to switch gears as Stevens and McKnight warmed up their respective axes. Within a minute, the guitars were blazing, and farewell any thoughts of a deep, contemplative sort of groove. This was full-on funk fire.

.....McKnight channeled his flamboyant energy through his guitar, playing a hammering-on technique usually associated with heavy metal.