Heads of State is a quartet of living legends that features saxophonist Gary Bartz, pianist Larry Willis, drummer Al Foster, and their latest addition, bassist David “Happy” Williams. The band began life in September 2014 as the Larry Willis All-Stars, assembled for a weekend engagement at Smoke Jazz Club in New York to pay tribute to McCoy Tyner (with whom Bartz, Foster and original Heads of State bassist Buster Williams had all played extensively.) But, there was magic in the air that weekend and the response to their music so overwhelming that they realized that they had something. Something that they wanted to continue. So, they morphed into a collective unit with a far more expansive mission. They made their recording debut in 2015 with the critically and popularly acclaimed “Search for Peace.” Now, after another year of playing together under their collective belts (on top of the nearly five decades of relationships shared by the various members), they return with the aptly-titled “Four in One,” due out March 17 on Smoke Sessions Records.