He was 24 years old, and said the initial encounter was daunting at first.

"It felt daunting but I was just blown away by the colour of the sounds and how many colours you could produce out of the organ," he said.

"As soon as I played it through the Leslie speaker it almost had this three-dimensional sound to it and made it come alive.

"It was almost like painting a picture."

Having played the bass since he was only a child, the 38-year-old said forging a relationship with the B3 wasn't a huge shift for him.

"It didn't feel like I had abandoned the bass but had just taken the bass in a different direction."

A lot has happened for Kealy musically since he first started playing the Hammond B3 with the musician performing as a member of several different bands.

Having taught himself how to play the organ, Kealy said he was constantly in awe at the instrument's versatility.

"It's getting tougher to survive off music but I've found that playing the organ I can perform in smaller line-ups or bigger line-ups with horn sections," he said.

"It has also allowed me to play anything from jazz to folk to soul funk, pop and even heavy rock."

Kealy will take to the stage on Friday with his trio the B3 Breakout as part of Ballarat Laneways.

A vibrant jazz and funk trio, the outfit is driven by the unique Hammond B3.

Featuring Liam Kealy on Hammond B3, Ashley Ward on guitar and vocals and Rohan Heddle on drums, the three-piece has made regular appearances at the Wangaratta Jazz and Blues Festival as well as all the major Melbourne Jazz venues.

"When we did Ballarat Backyard Tasters it went down really well and there was a really good atmosphere so when we were asked if we would be interested in performing at Ballarat Laneways, we jumped at it," Kealy said.

Kealy said his trio performed a wide range of original material along with a mixture of jazz, latin and funk.

Ballarat Laneways will wrap up this weekend after its three-week run.

As well as featuring free live music every week, the inaugural arts festival featured a movie garden, light installations, food and wine events and street performances.

B3 Breakout will also take to the stage on Saturday at Suttons House of Music.

THE INFO:

What: B3 Breakout

When: July 31, August 1

Where: Art Gallery of Ballarat Annexe and Suttons House of Music

Tickets: Free