Guitarist Neal Alger, a Chicago jazz fixture who has toured internationally with vocalist Patricia Barber and recorded for Blue Note Records, takes the stage at Adelle's Modern Kitchen + Bar on Thursday, Aug. 13, alongside fellow guitarist Steve Yastrow for a free evening of live jazz in downtown Wheaton.
The performance is part of WDCB Jazz Thursdays, a weekly series presented by WDCB 90.9 FM, the College of DuPage public radio station that bills itself as "Chicago's Home for Jazz." Three sets run from 6 to 9 p.m. at the restaurant, 535 W. Liberty Dr.
No cover charge, no ticket required.
Alger, who graduated summa cum laude from Northern Illinois University and moved to Chicago in 1995, teaches jazz guitar at Roosevelt University, Elmhurst College and DePaul University. According to his Roosevelt University faculty profile, Chicago Tribune critic Howard Reich once called him "one of the most sensitive and creative guitarists in a city filled with them." His most recent album as a leader, Old Souls, came out in 2024 on Calligram Records with his Here and Now Quintet.
Yastrow, who studied music composition and philosophy at Indiana University, has played professionally for roughly three decades, drawing on jazz, R&B, funk and Latin styles. A prior WDCB event listing billed the pairing as the "Neal Alger & Steve Yastrow Guitar Duo."
The series launched Aug. 6 with pianist Michael Stryker and trumpeter Ryan Shultz and continues every Thursday through the end of August. Remaining dates:
- Aug. 20: Trevor Hill Duo, 6–9 p.m., free
- Aug. 27: Megan Curran Duo, 6–9 p.m., free
All performances take place at Adelle's. The series is sponsored by PJ's Camera & Photo Supply in Glen Ellyn.
Upcoming community events
- Thursday, Aug. 13: WDCB Jazz Thursdays with Neal Alger & Steve Yastrow, Adelle's, 535 W. Liberty Dr., Wheaton, 6–9 p.m. Free.
- Monday, Aug. 17: Free storm-damage brush pickup, Warrenville.
- Thursday, Aug. 20: WDCB Jazz Thursdays with Trevor Hill Duo, Adelle's, Wheaton, 6–9 p.m. Free.
- Thursday, Aug. 27: WDCB Jazz Thursdays with Megan Curran Duo, Adelle's, Wheaton, 6–9 p.m. Free.
