Charlie’s Pocket: A Brief History

Charlie’s Pocket was founded in February, 2005, after Smokestack Jack and the Medicine Men (SJMM), a popular Indianapolis rock band dating to the late’90s, performed its final show at Mickey’s Irish Pub in Carmel, Indiana, on Saturday, February 5, 2005. Three members of SJMM, Leigh Epperson, vocalist, Kimble Richardson, percussionist, and Rob Watt, guitarist, teamed up with the husband-wife team of Marilyn Smith, vocals & keyboards, and Jim Farley, bass, to form the original ensemble.

The band’s lineup changed in the Fall of 2005, when Jim was invited to join the very successful Celtic band, Mother Grove. For the remainder of 2005, the talented guitarist-vocalist Jim Kimsey joined the group.

In January 2006, Marilyn Smith left the band and Courtney Casteel Schenberg, a vocalist with SJMM, rejoined. In order to allow Jim and Rob to play guitar full-time, Tyler Easton, an accomplished bassist and graduate of the Berklee School of Music, joined the lineup in the Spring of 2006.

The band remained as a Sextet until Spring 2007, when Jim left to pursue a solo career. In June 2007 Courtney decided to devote more time to her new business. Around the
same time, David Moscrip (Keyboards/Vocals) and the father-daughter team of
Jim Van Slambrook (Horns/Vibes) and Heidi Van Slambrook (Vocals) were added
to form the current lineup that is Charlie’s Pocket.