Conguero Javier Navarrette has been at the center of the Bay Area Latin music scene for the past three decades, both as a bandleader and key collaborator with masters such as John Santos, Bobi Céspedes, Jesús Díaz and Anthony Blea. In the depths of the pandemic, he decided to break through the isolation by assembling Javier Navarrette’s Socially Distant Friends, an all-star group that performed outside the UC Theatre in Berkeley. Featuring some of the best players on the Bay Area’s vibrant, overlapping Latin jazz and salsa scenes, the group has helped foster a welcome sense of community during tough times. Whether he’s in the classroom, on the bandstand, or playing in the street, Navarrette brings a deep sense of purpose to every setting.