Eric Woolfson's POE to centerstage with no less than the vocal virtuoso Steve Balsamo in the leading role and veteran stage actor David Burton as Poe's nemesis Rufus Griswold. Not only is the music itself exceptional but so is the story it tells of the trails and tribulations of Edgar Allan Poe thoughout his tragic life. Tracing the parallels of Poe's life with his poetry and prose, Woolfson tells a story that not only entralls but rings with truth. This live audio recording of the world premiere performance in Studio 2 of Abbey Road from November of 2003 has several songs not included on the studio release of Poe: More Tales of Mystery & Imagination. Taken together, they impart an understanding of the life of the man who inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, a plethora of French gothic and romantic writers, and, even, the very birth of modern day science fiction.