More than 1,600 performing artists, presenters, agents and managers, independent label and recording industry representatives, folk DJs, music journalists, folklorists and educators will converge on Memphis, Tennessee, Feb. 18-22, for the 21st Annual International Folk Alliance Conference. Ranked among the five largest music conferences in North America, it will feature four days of panels and workshops and four nights of artist showcases, feature performances and hundreds of private showcases that extend late into the night (or early morning hours, depending on your vantage point). Roger McGuinn, former frontman for The Byrds and one of the pioneers of folk-rock music, will deliver a keynote address, while other leading and emerging artists will pay tribute to Phil Ochs and Utah Phillips and honor Cambridge, Massachusetts’ famed Club Passim on its 50th anniversary during feature performance shows. Documentary film screenings and discussions, a children’s music showcase, a special performance by NewSong Contest Winners, as well as a large exhibit hall and plenty of opportunities for networking and jamming also are in store for attendees. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]