Local Live to feature Dave Desmelik and Ryan Furstenberg

Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jay Brown keeps himself in the public eye with his many solo and band projects, but he’s also generous in providing a showcase for other talented regional artists.

He’s the host of the White Horse Black Mountain’s “Local Live” series, which on Monday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m., features Dave Desmelik and Ryan Furstenberg as special guests.

Desmelik is a singer-songwriter and instrumentalist whose musical focus is on original compositions. Listeners are attracted to his tunes, old and new, by the element of authenticity embedded in them. His songs are not wrapped in false smiles, but rather are stark and open, settling on the pulse of everyday life.

Desmelik was born and raised just outside of Atlanta, Georgia but has traveled and lived in a multitude of landscapes and currently resides in Brevard. In the 1990s and early 2000s he played with Onus B. Johnson, a successful band based in Flagstaff, Arizona. That group was in the front wave of jamgrass while maintaining strong songwriting.

Today, Desmelik continues to pursue an ascending path as a solo artist.

Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Furstenberg was born and raised among the Eastern NC tobacco fields, learning classic country and 70s rock on harmonica and then guitar.

He plays regularly with his cellist wife Melissa Hyman in The Moon and You, a duo that is freshly returned from a successful European tour. Though he's based in Asheville, Furstenberg regularly travels the east coast and Western Europe. His rich country baritone and easy Southern style bring an undeniable Americana flavor to the table.

Brown, the host of the Local Live series, can be found playing solo and with a number of groups in the Asheville area, including The Lazybirds, the Indian-influenced group Shantavaani, Swing Guitars and his newest Southern roots project, The Appalucians.

A prolific songwriter in an eclectic mix of genres, he’s spent years touring the U.S. and abroad absorbing musical styles. He’s the founder and sole member of the Jay Brown One-Man Band, singing original songs while accompanying himself on guitar, harmonica and foot percussion.