Art by Syd Metter via legatobebop.bandcamp.com

Legato Bebop "Proximity" (self-released)

It's been a solid first year for local guitar/rhythm act Legato Bebop aka Patrick John White, who, whether you know it or not, is out there in Issaquah, self-producing intricate, beautiful music for your headphones. "Proximity" collects four tracks he's been performing in concert. It's ambient, it's rock, it's groovy. It's in-between music. "Stray Dog Strut" opens and builds seethingly; "Perpetual Love" closes on a kaleidoscope/circus vibe. When you're making up your own language like Bebop is, there aren't clear guideposts to show the way (his shouty vocals on "Stray Dog Strut" are a work in progress, for instance). But it's an achievement that "Proximity" spirals, hovers and rests on its own terms. If you're in the right mood, it can be a mystical listen.