He wasn't bad, and having played for Jon, I honestly didn't expect him to be. But he just wasn't Tico. Like Richie's guitar and vocals, Tico's instrumental "voice" adds a distinct personality to the band.

The same thing happened when I first listened to Richie's second solo album. Though I considered it a fine improvement over his first one, something about it wasn't quite right. So I started playing Stranger In This Town, and had my answer within minutes -- Tico had played on Stranger, Kenny Aronoff on Undiscovered Soul!