Guitarist Rez Abbasi has been on the scene for a little while now, steadily building his credibility as a world class talent. His work bouncing back and forth between electric and acoustic has received plaudits all around. Just this past week, his latest trio release, Continuous Beat (Abbasi’s first trio recording with John Hébert on drums and Satoshi Takeishi on bass) has been ranked #1 on the CMJ jazz radio listings. It’s because of his distinct sound, built by his Pakistani heritage largely shaded by his American upbringing, that San Antonio arts organization Musical Bridges Around the World has invited him to play with his Invocation band which includes pianist Vijay Iyer, bassist Johannes Weidenmueller, alto saxophonist Dave Binney, and drummer Michael Sarin. In anticipation of what’s sure to be an amazing show at San Antonio College’s McAllister Auditorium this Sunday, December 9, I asked Abbasi a few questions about his music, his background, his band, and his approach to different crowds.