Christmas Blue, Salome Bey and the Relatives (Rainbowhirl)

The late Salome Bey is widely known as a musical performer, actress, and promoter of the arts, particularly in Canada, which awarded her the Order of Canada for her career achievements. Born in the USA, she made her home in Toronto and was probably better known for her work in African American theatre than for her own musical performances. Nevertheless, she made a number of records, including this 2015 gospel/soul workout for the holidays. Her alto voice is strong, her use of it is very theatrical, and the arrangements of these songs are quite up-to-the-minute soulful. The title song is a midtempo musing on the "Christmas blues," and there are similar themes in "Why Can't the Christmas Spirit Be Always," "Christmastime Christmastime," and "It Is Time We Celebrate." There also are solid versions of "Joy To the World," "O Holy Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "What Child Is This," and a fine uptempo take on "Silent Night." Availability is spotty; it's not downloadable anywhere and Amazon only shows hardcopies at premium prices, although I did find it on Spotify. Bey died in 2020 at the age of 86.