In an era of modern revivals of popular vintage objects like records and typewriters, modern musicians do the same with what used to be out-of-style instruments like the Hammond B-3 organ.

Last semester, Director of the School of Music Greg Yasinitsky, head of the guitar program Brad Ard, Coordinator of Jazz Studies Brian Ward, and professor of percussion David Jarvis came together to create the contemporary hard-bop quartet known as Gator Tail.

Together, they form a quartet of an organ, tenor sax, guitar and drums. Of all the instruments, obtaining the organ was the most difficult.

When Gator Tail formed, WSU did not own a Hammond B-3 organ, so Yasitinsky and Ward made their own “Franken-organ” with two keyboards, called manuals, and foot pedals, Ward said.

“The heart of the group is really the organ,” Yasinitsky said. “It features all of us in different ways, but the organ is central to the whole thing.”

To imitate the sound of an organ, they connected all of the different parts to a MIDI, or a musical instrument digital interface, Yasinitsky said.

They then used samples, or recordings of what the organ sounded like in the central “brain” of the organ, Ward said.

“When you play on the keyboard, it comes pretty close because you get the same type of response,” Ward said. “It’s not just a sample; it’s way deeper than that. It reacts like how an organ would react.”

Gator Tail performs original compositions by the members of the quartet, mostly composed by Ward, Yasinitsky and Ard. The group plays contemporary hard-bop with influences from other types of jazz, like blues and funk, but no song will sound the same as the next.

“That’s the beauty of this band,” Jarvis said. “In our book, we have enough material to play four hours of music.”

With so much music, each member of the band has his role to play. The tenor saxophone can play melodies, and its sound blends well with the organ. The guitar adds definition to the rhythm and can play melodies. The drums define the groove, and the organ plays the baseline, chords and melody, Ward said.

With music and performing, it’s important to have the right people come together to do it, Yasinitsky said. The band is built around these four people, not just the instruments they play.

“Playing in this group is like getting together with a bunch of friends at dinner,” Ard said. “No one talks too much, and everyone’s listening to each other. There’s definitely respect for each other — a respectful camaraderie.”

Gator Tail will perform at “Soul Jazz Reimagined” at 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Kimbrough Concert Hall. General admission is $10, students and seniors are $5 and WSU students are free with ID.