Edward
Drake, aka the Drakester
A tribute by Harold Taylor
9/8/03
A true purist in everything he did, the Drakester was an accomplished
scientist who worked for the USGS performing water quality sampling and testing.
His meticulous nature as a scientist carried over into his personal
pursuits, among which were high-end audio, fine music, and home brewing.
During the eight years I knew him, I watched the Drakester
systematically assemble one of the finest audio systems I have ever been
fortunate enough to hear. His
willingness to challenge old assumptions and conduct repeated “shootouts”
between various cables and components fueled the development of a system that
evolved rapidly and never backtracked. Though
not a designer himself, he knew exactly what he wanted in his music listening
experience and he could always pinpoint the deceptive “wow” changes that
would eventually prove false and fatiguing.
He loved the big, open soundstage with deep layering and seamless balance
that were achieved with a custom DIY loudspeaker he had commissioned fellow
audiophile Sam Papadas to build for him. His
oft-uttered expression during the height of a listening session was, “Yo, yo,
see the movie!” For him, audio was a truly visual experience.
The Drakester was a lover of great music. He had assembled a fine collection of classical from
Beethoven and Brahms to Schubert and Tschaikovsky.
His jazz collection spanned the works of Glen Miller, Billy Holiday,
Miles, Coltrane and Ellington all the way to 70’s fusion such as Weather
Report, Oregon, Chick Corea, Al DeMiola and others. His tastes spanned classic rock, country, alternative rock,
and R&B. Thanks to his brother
Jim’s generosity, my friends and I now enjoy his music collection on a regular
basis.
Ed was as passionate about his beer as he was about his music.
He had started brewing only a couple of years before his passing, yet he
managed to brew thirty-five batches of beer.
Much like his audio pursuits, each batch built on the knowledge gained
from the previous experiment. To
this day, I have not tasted a finer beer than the Drakester’s #32.
After many iterations of Oktoberfest/Marzen with some Pilsner and
HafeWeizen batches thrown in, Drake tried a Double-Bock in #32 and mastered it
on his first attempt.
The Drakester was a bit of an understated character, much more
interested in substance than flash, more focused on results than meanderings.
A keen follower of politics and world affairs, his observations of the
world we live in were often compelling and enlightening.
In the short time I knew him, he enriched my life and the lives many
others in the audiophile community.