Leader of the Jazz Adoption Agency since the early '80s, Dick Berk was important both as a stimulating drummer and as a talent scout. After attending the Berklee College of Music and playing with bands in Boston in the early '60s, he moved to New York, where he performed with a quintet that included Ted Curson and Bill Barron (1962-1964), plus with Charles Mingus, Mose Allison, Freddie Hubbard, and Walter Bishop, Jr., among others. Relocating to Los Angeles in the late '60s, Berk worked and recorded with many top musicians including Milt Jackson, George Duke, Cal Tjader, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Blue Mitchell. Berk, who eventually moved to the Pacific Northwest, recorded sets for Discovery, Trend, 9 Winds, and Reservoir; among the sidemen he featured with his Jazz Adoption Agency were trombonists Andy Martin and Mike Fahn, baritonist Nick Brignola, vibraphonist Jon Nagorney, pianists Keith Saunders and Tad Weed, and bassist John Patitucci. ~ Scott Yanow