Tongi Bartlett and Darnell Holston have combined their efforts to open something wholly new to the Augusta area. Vibes and Vines is a combination restaurant and jazz lounge where patrons can hear live jazz every week from Thursday to Sunday.
“About nine weeks ago, I was speaking to a relative about my idea for a jazz lounge. They introduced me to Darnell, who makes wine,” Bartlett said.
Over the course of two lunches, the pair searched for a location, developed the idea and finalized their approach. The spot is located 4659 Jefferson Davis Hwy. in Beech Island, S.C.
Bartlett has a background in cooking and catering, and she said there’s really nothing like this vision in the area. Holston, she said, makes wine out of his home to share with family and friends.
The location for Vibes and Vines came to Holston in a dream, wildly enough.
“I didn’t even know this place existed. Darnell had a dream about it and took me there,” Bartlett said. “He thought he knew the owner, which he did, and the owner allowed us to lease it from him.”
Two chefs, a sous chef and a culinary student from Helms College provide the food at the venue, and Bartlett said both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available at the lounge as well.
“What we want is for a visitor to come into a laid back atmosphere,” Bartlett said. “We want visitors to experience total relaxation and an awesome meal.”
Local musician and composer Travis Shaw was brought in to run the house band for the venue. Initially coming in to audition for the band, a conversation among Shaw, Bartlett and Holston developed into Shaw “taking the reins and running with it,” Bartlett said.
Shaw, primarily a bass player, has spent the past year teaching music and playing gigs from Augusta to Savannah to Columbia. He’s filled the stage with two of his most frequent collaborators in Christian Thornton on drums and Shannon Pinkney on keys.
Shaw said the prospect of developing a nexus of jazz-listening in the Augusta area is “more than exciting — it’s life-giving.”
In speaking with Bartlett and Holston, Shaw was able to determine the type of music they want to have played at the lounge.
“It sounded to me that Tongi and Darnell wanted to have a really authentic, acoustic jazz experience here,” Shaw said. “It was a totally unforeseen opportunity but an absolute blessing.”
Shaw said the conversation started with determining what the owners meant when they said ‘jazz.’
“I had to ask them a bunch of questions about what they meant by ‘jazz,'” Shaw said. “Jazz is very broad and nebulous, and it can mean a lot of different things depending on where you’re coming from. Darnell was thinking Coltrane. Saxophone and piano. Miles Davis. They want to build a space that’s an adult vibe where people aren’t coming to get crazy. People are coming to have a drink and chill; unwind and spend time in a listening environment.”
Shaw said his foundation is in that acoustic jazz world, both in his compositions and performing, and this lounge can be a place to plant roots as opposed to nomadically gigging wherever an opportunity to play crops up.
“The question I always get is, ‘Where can I go to hear live jazz in Augusta tonight?'” Shaw said. “And the answer is… you probably can’t.’ It became apparent that Tongi and Darnell were trying to build something that could be that.”
Throughout each weekend, the house band will play and also feature special guest artists from around the city and surrounding region. One thing is constant: live jazz every night.
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com
