Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops have announced details of the Pops season, which opens May 4 with a concert by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra featuring jazz legend Al Jarreau and violinist Ayano Ninomiya and continues through July 11.

This year five programs will be taped for the ''Evening at Pops'' television programs. ''Brush Up Your Shakespeare'' represents a timely collaboration between the Pops and Tina Packer's Shakespeare and Company (May 22, 24). ''Swingin' at the Pops'' features vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway, the Jivin' Lindy Hoppers (a British dance group), and the a cappella singers ''five o'clock shadow'' (May 29, June 1). Broadway star Audra McDonald appears with the Pops June 2. Nathan Lane joins the Pops June 7 for a tribute to Danny Kaye. These four programs will be led by Lockhart, now in his fifth season as Pops conductor.

John Williams will conduct the remaining television taping, May 27, which features soprano Dawn Upshaw, vocalist Vic Damone, and violinist Itzhak Perlman in a program of music from the golden age of the movies, including the world concert premiere of music from Williams's score to the new ''Star Wars'' movie, ''Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.''

Lockhart conducts concerts by the Pops and the alternating freelance Pops Esplanade Orchestra May 4-5, 13-22, 24, 25, and 29, June 1, 2, 5, 7-9, 13-17, 20, 22, and July 1 as well as the free concerts on the Esplanade July 3, 4, 7, 8, and an ''All Star-Weekend'' in Symphony Hall July 9-11 celebrating the all-star game in Fenway Park.

The music of Duke Ellington will be featured prominently this season in honor of his 100th birthday. Vocalist Carol Sloane joins guest conductor Bruce Hangen and the Esplanade Orchestra May 11 and 12 for a special Ellington tribute.

Lockhart's programs include ''A Tribute to Broadway'' featuring students from the Boston Conservatory; Celtic Night (with Esplanade Orchestra concertmaster Joseph Scheer playing Bruch's ''Scottish Fantasy''), ''Swing Night'' with competition dancers from the area, a Father's Day tribute, and others. Among his soloists will be Boston Pops concertmaster Tamara Smirnova, pianists Tatiana Yampolsky and Virginia Eskin, bass trombonist Douglas Yeo (who plays Christopher Brubeck's concerto), and the US Army Field Band and Soldiers Chorus.

Williams, Pops conductor laureate, leads 10 concerts (May 23, 26, 27, 28, 30, June 3, 4, 6, 10, and 11). Among his soloists will be violinists Arturo Delmoni and Catherine French and pianist Heng-Jin Park Ellsworth.

Harry Ellis Dickson leads the list of guest conductors (''Old Timers' Night'' May 30 and the annual Arthur Fiedler Memorial Concert July 6 in the Hatch Memorial Shell). Charles Floyd returns for concerts June 23-24 and June 27 (the traditional ''Gospel Night'' with baritone Jubilant Sykes, who will appear in all of Floyd's concerts), Mitch Miller (Ida Kavafian and Helen Kim alternating in the Mendelssohn Violin Concert), Hangen, longtime Pops arranger Richard Hayman, Jeff Tyzik (another Ellington tribute), and James Orent.

This summer marks the 70th anniversary of the Fourth of July Concerts on the Esplanade. This year Boston Symphony music director Seiji Ozawa makes his first appearance at one of these events to conduct Tchaikovsky's ''1812 Overture.'' This program will be telecast locally on WCVB-Ch. 5 and nationally on cable's A & E and broadcast on WCRB-FM 102.5.

There will be two new Pops CDs recorded this summer. For RCA/BMG Lockhart records a patriotic/Fourth of July album; for Sony, Williams records an album of film music with Itzhak Perlman.

Ticket prices range from $13 to $49 and are available by calling SymphonyCharge at 617-266-1200 or at the box office. For a season brochure call 617-266-1492 or write to Boston Pops, Symphony Hall, Boston, MA 02115. The Web site is http://www.bso.org.