They were very polished and played as a tight band. Unlike Chicago, which often became known as the band for the lead singer. Steely was able to fuse light jazz with alternative rock, not at all easy to mix in a good way. These days, less people listen to jazz. One reason is the songs or pieces are usually rather long by today’s standards. Anything longer than a ringtone without being followed by a chorus might lose the average listener. There are exceptions, of course. The right movie or the right performer may begin a new wave of appreciation. The production quality of Steely Dan was always excellent. I think most the members were already experienced recording artists and mixing engineers. I enjoyed Chick Corea too, who was similar to Santana.
There is a DVD out with Chick Corea playing in Barcelona with some other superb musos - I think a lot of it is on YouTube. It is mind blowing!