‘Thoughts Over Matter’ – Aaron Watson III’s Daring Leap Into Fusion, Freedom and ‘Roots of Renewal’ – JamSphere

September 28, 2025

13

In an period the place style boundaries are regularly examined, few artists embody the spirit of fearless musical exploration like Aaron Watson III. Recognized throughout Florida and past as a commanding saxophonist, visionary bandleader, and cultural educator, Watson is stepping firmly into the worldwide highlight along with his single “Thoughts Over Matter”, a composition that not solely showcases his mastery of groove and tone but additionally alerts the broader ambition behind his upcoming debut album, Roots of Renewal.

For greater than 15 years, Watson has been a cornerstone of North Florida’s music scene. Whether or not main the explosive Pharaohs of Funk or sharing levels with luminaries akin to George Clinton and Fred Wesley, his sound is unmistakable: a seamless mix of jazz sophistication, soul’s uncooked emotionality, and reggae’s infectious pulse. To expertise him reside is to witness a storyteller at work – an artist who doesn’t simply play the saxophone however channels it as a vessel of tradition, emotion, and dialogue.

At its core, “Thoughts Over Matter” is an train in restraint and intention. Constructed on a gentle percussion framework and a bassline that flows with unshakable momentum, the observe unfolds with calm authority. Watson’s saxophone, fairly than overwhelming the association, threads by it – typically main, typically conversing, all the time permitting the groove to breathe, whereas additionally leaving loads of house for a easy resonating vocal melody

This stability is what makes the only so compelling. Many fusion initiatives lean on density or experimentation for his or her affect, however Watson chooses readability. Every word is deliberate, every phrase and phrase, a rigorously formed gesture. The result’s music that feels as communal as it’s private – an invite for the listener to step contained in the rhythm and keep there.

The one additionally underscores Watson’s perception in music’s transformative energy. “I can’t stand to see my individuals crying, I don’t need to see my individuals dying,” he shares concerning the inspiration behind the piece. “Seeing this music create love, peace, and happiness is essential to me.” In that manner, “Thoughts Over Matter” shouldn’t be solely a composition however a manifesto, weaving his technical command along with his cultural mission.

In essence, with “Thoughts Over Matter,” Aaron Watson III delivers a concise, soulful, and deeply related overview of a society combating damaged truths. It’s a uncooked meditation on confusion, a heartbreaking lament over collective ache, and, in the end, a decided anthem of religious and psychological resilience in opposition to a world that merely now not is smart.

Whereas “Thoughts Over Matter” units the tone, Watson’s different singles in his catalog widen the imaginative and prescient. “This Life” presents a brighter, extra exuberant aspect of his artistry. With its layered horn preparations and syncopated grooves, the observe highlights his capability to craft distinction – moments of rigidity stretching into lengthy, expressive horn strains earlier than resolving in bursts of rhythm and launch. It’s music that retains the listener leaning ahead, anticipating the subsequent shift.

Then there’s “Come Collectively,” maybe essentially the most spiritually charged of the trio. Written on a aircraft to Barbados for his grandfather’s funeral, the music is steeped in each grief and transcendence. Anchored by a gentle reggae pulse, its delicate harmonic modifications create an uplifting sense of ahead movement. Right here, Watson’s saxophone takes on a extra conversational function, interacting with the ensemble as if engaged in dialogue. It’s a observe that resonates with connection, neighborhood, and therapeutic – a mirrored image of music’s capability to rework sorrow into collective power.

These singles type the underpinning groundwork in the direction of the muse of Roots of Renewal, Watson’s forthcoming debut album. Removed from a easy studio venture, the report is the fruits of deeply private experiences. “The inspiration got here from the time my grandfather handed away, all the way in which up till we pressed report within the studio,” Watson explains. “One other inspiration was my mentor, Baba Olusegun, who taught me methods to create and blend my love for jazz and Caribbean music right into a story by music.”

These tales had been typically born in Olusegun’s artistic house, referred to as “The Bottomless Pit,” the place improvisation and cultural dialogue had been paramount. Earlier than his passing, Olusegun left Watson with one closing piece of music to finish – a present and a problem that now types a part of Roots of Renewal. The album, then, shouldn’t be solely a debut however a religious inheritance, carrying ahead classes of mentorship, resilience, and cultural reminiscence.

Watson hopes the report presents listeners a way of launch: “After I launch Roots of Renewal, I hope that listeners will really feel a way of freedom from no matter hardships they’ve skilled in life. The music was created throughout exhausting occasions of my life or in moments of feeling free from all negativity – that’s the place the improvisation got here in.”

A part of what makes Watson’s method so distinctive is his understanding of music’s universality. Drawing on knowledge handed down from his grandfather and professors, he sees past stylistic divisions: “Concord is concord. My grandfather all the time mentioned, ‘There’s solely 12 notes, buddy.’ We will create rhythms that talk to completely different cultures, however concord is identical in every single place.”

It’s this philosophy that permits him to fuse jazz, reggae, funk, and soul with out diluting any of them. By grounding his compositions in historical past, listening, and follow, Watson doesn’t merely mix genres – he reshapes them into one thing uniquely his personal.

With the assist of Brower Leisure, Watson is now bringing his sound to wider audiences. Performances throughout Florida, the Caribbean, and Europe have already demonstrated his versatility; now, his recordings function a everlasting doc of that artistry. For promoters, venues, and followers, singles like “Thoughts Over Matter” present a distilled model of his reside power – groove-driven, improvisational, and globally resonant.

But Watson’s imaginative and prescient extends past music. A graduate of Florida A&M College with a level in Jazz Research and a present Arts Administration scholar at Florida State College, he has lengthy balanced efficiency with training. His mentorship of younger musicians in Leon County and past displays his perception in passing on not solely technical ability but additionally cultural duty. As his mentor Darryl Tookes as soon as informed him: “It’s not about black and white, it’s about humanity.” For Watson, music is essentially the most highly effective medium for expressing that fact.

With “Thoughts Over Matter,” “This Life,” “Come Collectively,” and the soon-to-arrive Roots of Renewal, Aaron Watson III is charting a daring course for modern instrumental music. He proves that fusion doesn’t must be an train in extra – it may be an artwork of readability, the place rhythm, melody, and interplay communicate louder than density.

However extra importantly, he demonstrates how music could be a software for therapeutic, dialogue, and hope. Watson shouldn’t be solely a saxophonist or bandleader; he’s a cultural chief, a bridge between traditions, and a visionary whose work resonates throughout borders. Because the world awaits Roots of Renewal, one factor is for certain: Aaron Watson III has arrived not simply to play, however to encourage.