A Chicago resident since 1990, Mitch Paliga has worked with Randy Brecker, Vinnie Colaiuta, Rudy Linka, Akio Sasajima, Damon Short, Jo Ann Daugherty, Deanna Witkowski, Danny Gottlieb, Hard Art Group, Kimotion, The Temptations, Bob Newhart, Marie Osmond, The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Victor Kraus, Fred Simon, Marlene Rosenberg, John McLean and recently joined the Lt. Dan Band led by Gary Sinise.

In 1993 he was awarded the now defunct National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Study Grant to study with David Liebman. Liebman's influence was not limited to the soprano saxophone and jazz improvisation but also composition. In 1998 Mitch went back to college at Northwestern University and received a master's degree in jazz pedagogy. In 2000 he received a City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grant to record some of my original compositions.

Mitch is also am a member of the Chicago Jazz Composers Collective as well as teach at North Central College in the jazz studies department and Lake Forest College.