Pianist Jade Simmons says record deal was like a Cinderella story

I love happy endings...or in Jade Simmons case - a happy beginning.

That's because the Houston-based musician launched her debut album with a standing-room-only concert at the Rockefeller on March 23. Yay!!

Like many artists, Jade has worked hard to get to where she is today. In fact, getting the record deal was a dream come true, but according to the 31-year-old pianist, how it happened was unexpected.

"I had always heard these Cinderella stories and wondered why it never happened to me. But this was one of those instances," said Simmons.

Simmons' concert management called her up last April with a last minute opportunity to perform with a small orchestra in Long Island.

"The piece they wanted me to play was 'Rhapsody in Blue,' and truth be told, I had never played the piece before. I had a month to learn it, so it was a little risky, but I took the risk," said Simmons.

Simmons was glad she agreed to the last minute concert, because it turned out that two of the record executives moonlighted in the orchestra.

They heard she was coming to play, did some research on her, and then gave her a call.

"They wanted to know if I was interested in recording and what kind of music I would like to record. I pitched this project and it was almost an instant record deal," said Simmons.

It sounds easy, but Simmons has spent her life preparing for this moment, not really knowing if a record deal would ever happen. She's been playing piano since she was 8 years old, but all the work paid off. When opportunity knocked, she was ready to walk through the door.

Her debut album is called "The Rhythm Project: Revolutionary Rhythm," and the CD is a reflection of her affinity for rhythmic music. The album highlights music from four different American composers, including Samuel Barber and John Corigliano, as well as Austin-based electronic music guru Russell Pinkston and DBR (Daniel Bernard Roumain).

"I've kind of carved out a niche for myself in the classical world by playing music that has a more rhythmic vibe on the piano," said Simmons.

Simmons' personal style comes alive on the album and is apparent in the pieces written by DBR. On these pieces, she and a colleague created electronic hip-hop beats to go along with the music. The result is a sound that follows the same vein as what Missy Elliot or Timbaland would do.

"With those pieces I got to live out the whole rock star/hip-hop fantasy. I really wanted to have a CD that reflected who I was personally and be shown as not your everyday classical performer," said Simmons.

Simmons says the recording setting was comfortable and that part of the process was easy. The hardest part for her was post production.

"I think for artists this is often the trickiest part, because you have in your head your own conception on how you want the world to see you and the record label has to think about how they are going to sell records," said Simmons.

For the most part, everything about the CD has gone well, and Simmons is excited about the final product. But what was most important to her was that she was shown as a musician and not marketed as a young woman who was the first runner-up at the 2000 Miss America Pageant.

"What I want people to remember about me is not how I look, but how I sound," said Simmons. "I feel lucky that all things have come together, but what was hard for me, and I think for a lot of female artists, is making sure the right things are being marketed."

"The Rhythm Project" is being released on March 24 and Simmons wanted to debut it in the city she calls her home.

"I came to Houston to go to grad school and never left. I feel like the art scene here is open enough to receive everything at we are trying to do," said Simmons.

Simmons also had a special guest with her at the Houston concert. Roburt Reynolds (AKA Room 101) joined her for part of the concert to play live electronic beats on stage to a few of the pieces.