What Do Madonna, John Legend, Santana and George Benson Have in Common?

A new pop-up exhibition in Budapest asks how a Hungarian jazz guitarist’s music reached Madonna, John Legend and George Benson. The House of Music Hungary will open the display on Sept. 10 to mark the 90th anniversary of Gábor Szabó’s birth.

Szabó emigrated to the United States at 20 and became a major figure in American jazz within a few years. The exhibition reconstructs his path through photographs from the family archive, letters and record covers that are difficult to find in Hungary.

One of the exhibition’s stories centers on “Breezin’.” Bobby Womack wrote the song, and Szabó recorded it with Womack in 1970. The recording appeared on Szabó’s 1971 album “High Contrast.” Five years later, George Benson recorded the song for his internationally successful album of the same name. Benson later said he knew Szabó’s version. When his producer urged him to record “Breezin’,” that earlier recording initially counted against the idea. Benson ultimately accepted because he believed he could approach the song differently.

Szabó’s recordings also resurfaced in later pop music. Madonna used musical elements from his recording “Space” on “Mer Girl,” from her 1998 album “Ray of Light.” John Legend used a sample from Szabó’s version of “Stormy” on “Save Room,” released in 2006 as the first single from his album “Once Again.” Will.i.am produced the track.

“Stormy” was originally written by the Classics IV, and Szabó recorded his own version. That recording, made more than three decades earlier, became part of John Legend’s song, making Szabó an influence as a performer rather than a songwriter. The exhibition also recalls Szabó’s work with Hungarian musicians, including Kati Kovács, during visits to Hungary in 1974 and 1978.