Thursday, October 1, 2026
Central Beat, originally the house band for Central Synagogue of Nassau County has truly branched out since its start in 2001, even as it continues to perform for the temple’s social events and religious services. But this Sunday, it will accomplish a rare double-header — playing at two charitable events in one day.
In the morning the band will perform at the annual Winthrop Swim-a-Thon at Hofstra University to help raise money for the Child Life Program of Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola. That afternoon, it will travel to Queens to perform at Rockin’ For CJ, a benefit for 10-year-old CJ, who is battling bone cancer. That event will be held at Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven, made famous as the location where “Goodfellas” was filmed, from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. At least seven bands representing different musical genres have volunteered to furnish music for the cause, and Central Beat is scheduled to take the stage sometime between 4:30 and 5.
Band members — all local — include its leader, Marshall Ochman, an attorney who is its principal composer and contributes lead vocals to most songs with his tenor voice. Ochman plays all types of keyboards, and has filled in on drums and percussion in a pinch. He can be heard on the band’s self-titled CD as well as on his solo effort, “24/SEVEN.”
Lead guitarist Richard Geffen, another attorney and, with Ochman, one of the two remaining founders of the band, was a serious student of music theory in his college days, and contributes both rock and jazz elements in his playing as well as bass-baritone backup vocals. In addition to the guitar he studied keyboards, bass guitar and a variety of woodwinds, and in the past he has played flute with the band.
Bass player Dr. Scott Schnee, a psychologist, is another multi-instrumentalist and a rare example of a guitarist-turned-bassist by choice. The youngest of the four band members, Schnee’s influence has Central Beat performing more contemporary rock songs, and he lends his high baritone to the lead in some of those numbers and to backup in others.
Mark Gotkin, an import/export logistics manager, is a jazz-trained drummer and the band’s newest member. Gotkin cut his teeth as an original member of The Slugs. He has performed at CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City. Until recently he was a member of The Haze before leaving to join Central Beat.
The band’s diverse set list includes numbers by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, The Beach Boys, The Black Crowes, Elton John, Tom Petty, The Monkees, Nick Lowe, Every Mother’s Son, Simon & Garfunkel, Question Mark and the Mysterians, The Left Banke, Badfinger, The Archies, The Buckinghams,Tommy James & The Shondells, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, The Eagles, 38 Special, The American Breed, The Grassroots, The Clash, The Ramones, Tommy Tutone, Van Morrison, Robert Palmer, as well as original songs by Ochman.
Visit www.winthrop.org/newsroom/press/release.cfm?id=638 for more information on the Swim-a-thon; for more information on Rockin’ for CJ, visit www.giveforward.com/rockinforcjatneirstavern.
