Stefan Gaspar is proof you can have the best of both worlds. Instead of picking one instrument to study, Gaspar plays two. He composes contemporary music, but recognizes the importance of jazz tradition. He manages a band and a business. And now, Gaspar matches his jazz music with the backdrop of Quarry Oaks golf course for the Sunday Jazz Brunch series. Quarry Oaks, located three miles southeast of Interstate 80 and Mahoney State Park in Ashland, is recognized by Golf Digest as one of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses. “We wanted to pair great music with a great atmosphere,” Dan Parsons, public relations director for Gaspar’s band, the Jazz Factory, said. Quarry Oaks provides an upscale, yet comfortable, environment for guests. The location is accessible both for Gaspar’s patrons in Lincoln and newcomers from Omaha. The first of the series took place Sept. 18 in the Quarry Oaks clubhouse. As diners enjoyed an “all you care to eat” brunch catered by the kitchen staff, they could appreciate the view of the course beyond the patio terrace.

The Jazz Factory dished out a variety of songs that satisfied the tastes of all guests. Gaspar’s original compositions included an edgy, upbeat “You Missed the Call” and a slower, contemplative “When Will I See You Again,” both off his albums. The band also played a bebop Charlie Parker piece, and they covered Norah Jones’s big hit “Don’t Know Why.” The Jazz Factory performed from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Gaspar interacted with the audience in between songs, sharing anecdotes and making jokes. He also drew names to win raffle prizes that included Quarry Oaks apparel and golf packages. “You can always negotiate,” Gaspar said to winners who might have rather won the gift certificate for a round of golf instead of a cap. His warm, welcoming personality only made the brunch more intimate and enjoyable.

What brought this passionate musician to the stage? Gaspar grew up in a musical family in Munich, Germany, and began piano lessons at the age of six. He later learned to play the clarinet, flute, guitar and saxophone. “There was always something about music that touched me,” Gaspar said. “It’s in my blood and without it I feel incomplete.”

At the age of 19, Gaspar left Europe to study contemporary music in the United States. He enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston, the world’s largest music college and the premier institution for studying contemporary music. Before Berklee was founded in 1945, music schools based their curriculum on the European, classical model. At Berklee, Gaspar benefited from a structured approach to jazz instruction. He studied saxophone, composition, arranging and improvisation. Gaspar credits his passion for music to the many, various teachers who taught him such a wide range of skills.

“A good teacher makes you love the music and love the instrument,” he said. Gaspar has a love for two instruments – the guitar and the saxophone – but could never make up his mind which he enjoyed more. “Which is better – green or blue?” he said. What’s the difference? You need them both.”
Like many musicians, Gaspar also had to support his economic needs. He got his MBA from Duke University in May of 1991, and moved to Lincoln to take over management of Chateau Development, a family owned LLC specializing in commercial real estate in the multi-family and office building sectors. Chateau Development owns over one thousand apartments in Lincoln and has been voted “Best of Lincoln” for seven out of the last eight years. Gaspar is a licensed real estate broker in Nebraska, and he works exclusively on commercial deals. His creativity comes in handy during marketing and promotions, as well as the development of new buildings.

Gaspar started the Jazz Factory in 1993 as another outlet for his creativity. “This allowed me the freedom to continue my musical inclinations,” he said. “I get grouchy when I don’t play, and my wife knows it.” Gaspar divides his time so he can devote himself to what is most important to him. 47 “I make an effort to take the time for music, family and business,” he said. “As long as you keep all those goals in front of you, it’s going to work.” The Jazz Factory plays traditional jazz favorites and Gaspar’s original contemporary compositions.

Gaspar plays either the saxophone or guitar, depending on the piece. The other members of the Jazz Factory include Andy Hall on bass, Joey Gulizia on drums and Tom Harvill on the piano. Terri Jo Dodsen lends her vocal talents when Gaspar composes lyrics to his songs. “These are some of the best musicians out there,” Dodsen said. “I learn a lot working with them.” Dodsen owns the Crescent Moon Coffee Shop in the Haymarket. Crescent Moon offers regular jazz music to its customers, and Dodsen sometimes performs with her own group, Baby Needs Shoes. She relates well to Gaspar’s need to balance work and music. “Music is a kind of escape for me,” she said. “Singing is a world I love to dive into and go away for a little while.” The band practices every week and performs at various venues in Lincoln. In the last three years, they have performed three times at the Rococo Theatre. To date, Gaspar and the Jazz Factory have released six CDs. “The Stefan Gaspar Project” is their latest effort. Albums can be previewed and purchased on the group’s website: www.stefangaspar.com.

The Sunday Jazz Brunch is an effort to expand Gaspar’s Lincoln fan base and offer a more regular, special event the audience can look forward to. The next brunch will be Nov. 20. Parsons and Quarry Oaks director of golf Joe Sutter hope that increased interest in the brunch will lead to a larger concert series set on the 18th hole of Quarry Oaks. “We’d like to build this up to be a big jazz festival,” Sutter said. As the brunch series continues to build a base of jazz enthusiasts, the possibility of the Jazz Factory playing in the natural amphitheater becomes an attractive goal. “The beautiful backdrop seems to lend itself to the music,” Dodson said. “You can’t beat that combination.” For information and reservations: Log onto www.quarryoaks.com for a map and photos of the Quarry Oaks Golf Course or call 402.944.6000 for $29.50 brunch tickets.

Listen to songs from
The Stefan Gaspar Project

When it comes to music, Stefan Gaspar is as accomplished as they come. He studied at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood and went on to earn a degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

One of his instructors at Berklee was trumpet great Herb Pomeroy, who taught him the ins and outs of composition.

When Gaspar came to Lincoln 14 years ago, he surrounded himself with some of the area's top players—Andy Hall (bass), Joey Gulizia (drums) and Tom Larson (piano)—to form The Jazz Factory. The ensemble has five CDs to its credit. Nebraska Jazz Orchestra pianist Tom Harvill recently replaced Larson, who left the group.

Yet despite his resume, Gaspar remains virtually unknown outside of Lincoln.

Hall said it's because music is not Gaspar’s full-time job. He is a managing partner and broker at Chateau Development.

“I know (music) is his first love, but he’s confined to managing his properties and doesn’t think about traveling around that much,” Hall said.

Gaspar, 44, admitted that if he had his druthers he would play his guitar and saxophone night and day.

“But you really have to come to grips with economic reality,” he said.

So he creates music for music’s sake and performs when he can.

Like tonight.

The Jazz Factory will play a benefit concert at 8:30 p.m. at the Rococo Theatre in downtown Lincoln. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools.

Those who know Gaspar and his music will discover he has gone in a different direction.

He recently added local vocalist Terri Jo Dodson to the group. She performed on the ensemble’s fourth and fifth CDs, which came out last year.

“What makes my band different from anybody else’s is the uniqueness of the sound,” Gaspar said. “It is the combination of acoustic instruments and the improvisational aspect of instrumental jazz music and combining these two aspects with lyrics and putting them in a song format.”

Listen to songs from
The Stefan Gaspar Project

Vocals add distinctive note to 'The Stefan Gaspar Project'
Back when I was learning to make records, I discovered the best way to find out how the music really sounded was to take it out of the studio and play it on a car stereo. If it sounded good there, it would sound good anywhere.

Car stereos have dramatically improved in quality in the past 25 years. But there's still some validity to that technique. And that's exactly how I heard "The Stefan Gaspar Project" for the first time: listening to the just-recorded, still unmixed tracks on a car system late last year. I was instantly taken with the music then and have become even more impressed by it as I have listened to the album over the past few months.

The first thing that hits home is that it is vocal jazz with all
original compositions, a rarity anywhere and a truly distinctive sound on the local music scene. Gaspar, who plays guitar and saxophone, wrote the music, clearly mindful of the tradition in which he is working while looking consistently forward.

The lyrics, while sometimes a bit predictable, are rooted in the
romanticism of jazz standards but include contemporary references - such as an ode to multitasking - while the music fits the tone of the words and yet allows the musicians to stretch out.

If you know anything about the Nebraska jazz scene, it goes without saying that the record is beautifully played. Bassist Andy Hall, drummer Joey Gulizia and pianist Tom Larson are among the state's best players, and all stand out in places across the record. Larson's piano, for example, establishes the lush, romantic mood on the ballad "After All These Years," while the rhythm section makes "You Missed The Call" rolling, creating a driving feel over which Larson's piano and Gaspar's saxophone bob and weave. But what sets "The Stefan Gaspar Project" apart are the vocals of Terri Jo Dodson. Best known as a folk singer and guitarist, Dodson is a jazz natural, possessing a pure voice with the ability to put just the right inflections into Gaspar's material. She's at home in the tropical "Love" and "You Don't Belong," a rhythmic kissoff, and on the bluesy "When Will I See You Again" with its snare drum brushes and soulful sax solo. She makes "I Think of Rosa" a breathy story song and even does a little scat on the intro to "I Thought About You Every Day and Night."

There are a couple of instrumental numbers on "The Stefan Gaspar
Project" - the cool, breezy "Marcus and Daddy" that features some great work by Hall and the edgy, sax-propelled "Streetwise 10" that lets Larson loose as well. But those pieces are in keeping with the tone of the record.

This is accessible jazz, music that's a reminder that jazz once was one of America's most popular music forms. But it is far from retro, even with its traditional stylings. I've probably listened to "The Stefan Gaspar Project" two dozen times since the day I heard it in the SUV. That's the highest praise I can
give any record.

-