Green’s Dictionary of Slang

vibes n.1

[abbr.]

a vibraphone or vibraharp.

1938
194019501960
1966
[US]Pic (N.Y.) Mar. 7: jibing the vibes or hitting the harps. — playing the vibraphone.
[US](con. 1958) R. Farina Been Down So Long (1972) 96: He gave a little of the Mojo mixture [...] to Spider Washington, who blew vibes.