The original "boatman stomp" is a New Orleans term for one of the main patterns used in traditional New Orleans jazz. It derives its name from the fact that, on a Mississippi River steamboat, the rhythmic propulsion to paddle steamboats was provided by deck hands who stomped their feet back and forth on a board while singing work songs. This pattern was later adapted for use in New Orleans jazz drumming, particularly in the styles of drumming associated with the early-jazz pioneers George "Pops" Foster and Louis Cottrell, Sr.
The boatman stomp is performed by the bassist or tubaist playing quarter-notes. The drummer plays an eighth-note pattern on the high-hat cymbal, with a bass-drum accent on beats one and three. On the sixteenth-notes, the drummer alternates between the snare and tom-tom. The basic boatman stomp pattern is used in several popular jazz standards, including "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "South Rampart Street Parade".
A popular variation of the boatman stomp, called the broken-time boatman stomp, involves replacing the steady eighth-note pattern on the high-hat with one that accents every third note, creating a syncopated rhythm that often accompanies stop-time playing in New Orleans jazz. The most common broken-time pattern used is known as the "second line" pattern, which is played on the backbeat on beats one and three.
The boatman stomp is a classic New Orleans jazz rhythm that helps create a sense of excitement and energy in the music. It is an important part of the city's jazz heritage and continues to be used by jazz musicians around the world.