Jazz artist Mitch Paliga brings his sax to North Central's stage

Saxophonist Mitch Paliga, a member of North Central College's acclaimed jazz faculty, performs next month at the college.

The performance begins at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, in North Central College's Madden Theatre at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. For tickets, call the North Central College Box Office at (630) 637-7469 or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.

An active performer, educator and composer based in the Chicago area, Paliga is known for his unique and individual voice on the soprano saxophone. Since 2007 he has toured with actor/musician Gary Sinise's Lt. Dan Band, performing 40 shows a year at military bases and other venues in Europe, Canada, Afghanistan, Kuwait, South Korea, Japan and the United States.

A founding member of the Chicago Jazz Composers Collective, Paliga has performed with the band Kimotion at the Ho Chi Minh Conservatory of Music and the Hue Festival in Vietnam. He also has performed with Vinnie Colaiuta, Christopher Cross, Danny Gottlieb, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, California Transit Authority (Danny Seraphine and Bill Champlin), Steve Rodby, The Temptations, Bob Newhart, Marie Osmond, and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra.

Paliga has two albums under his own name, "Blythe Moments" and "Fall Night," on the Origin label and has recorded more than 30 original compositions and arrangements with a variety of artists.

Paliga has a master's degree in jazz pedagogy from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in music from Eastern New Mexico University. He was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts grant in 1993 for individual study with master jazz musician David Leibman and a city of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grant in 2002. As a member of North Central's jazz faculty, he teaches jazz history, jazz and classical saxophone and directs a jazz ensemble.