Does it look anything like this?

Here is a link that might be useful: Sooty mold

Hi Loretta -- No. It doesn't look like soot. The tree looks completely healthy. It just that the needles on a few branches are black not green. Thansk!

Other dead needles on your shrubs are brown, not black? Black says mold or disease to me. Either cut them off and throw them out and see if the discoloration continues or exchange the plant.

You know what? Bring the plant back. Though everything might be fine once you remove the bad branches this year, there is a very good chance it will decline further next year. That has been my experience more often than not.
If you can post a pic on the pests and diseases forum, you would probably get a better answer.