North Mississippi Allstars

Hollywood men have made their share of dubious trips "down to the cross roads," with noteworthy attempts including Bruce Willis' Return of Bruno and Steven Segal's Mojo Priest. On the soundtrack to Black Snake Moan, Sam Jackson's portrayal of a fictional bluesman sounds plausible alongside indie honkies like the Black Keys, Outrageous Cherry and North Mississippi All Stars, even though the pastiche singing could be credited to Blind Lemon Taj McTell. It might ring false to purists, but Jackson is first call among aging action heroes -- at least until Wesley Snipes delivers.