Born in New York City to composer and conductor Gunther Schuller, with bassist Ed Schuller as his brother, drummer, composer, and bandleader George Schuller relocated to Boston during childhood. He earned a bachelor's degree in jazz performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1982. Over the following decade and beyond, Schuller performed extensively throughout the Boston region alongside Herb Pomeroy, Ran Blake, George Garzone, and Jaki Byard. In 1984 he assembled the twelve-piece group Orange Then Blue, whose ambitious recordings for the GM label included Music for Jazz Orchestra (1987), Where Were You? (1989), Funkallero (1991), While You Were Out (1994), and Hold the Elevator: Live in Europe & Other Haunts (1999). After settling in Brooklyn in 1994, Schuller brought the ensemble with him; its personnel soon reflected leading figures from the city's downtown scene, among them trumpeters Dave Douglas, Cuong Vu, and Dave Ballou, reed players Matt Darriau, Chris Speed, Andrew D'Angelo, and Andy Laster, plus French hornist Tom Varner.
The practical difficulties of sustaining a large creative jazz ensemble whose members maintained independent careers, together with the economic pressures involved, prompted Schuller to concentrate on smaller ensembles and sideman work. During the late 1990s and into the new century he directed the Schulldogs quartet, which featured tenor saxophonists Garzone and Tony Malaby plus the Schuller brothers on drums and bass; the group released Tenor Tantrums on New World in 1999. Altoist Tim Berne replaced Garzone on the 2002 Playscape album Hellbent, captured live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2000.
Schuller's solo project JigSaw appeared on 482 Music in 2004, extending ideas first explored with the Schulldogs; the Schuller brothers again formed the rhythm section behind Malaby and trumpeter Ballou, while reedman Darriau, violinist Mark Feldman, trombonist Curtis Hasselbring, and bass clarinetist/tubist Howard Johnson appeared on select tracks. Through the remainder of the decade Schuller also recorded with Free Range Rat, Trio This, and Conference Call, and sustained his long association with guitarist Michael Musillami in the Michael Musillami Trio, which included Conference Call bassist Joe Fonda. In 2010 Schuller introduced his own trio, featuring pianist Dan Tepfer and bassist Jeremy Stratton, on the Fresh Sound/New Talent release Life's Little Dramas.
One of Schuller's most enduring projects, Circle Wide, originated in 1999. Its 2003 Playscape debut, Round 'Bout Now, honored the 1967–1970 Miles Davis period and showcased a core quintet of trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, saxophonist/flutist Donny McCaslin, vibraphonist Tom Beckham, and bassist Dave Ambrosio, augmented by guests Darriau, guitarist Pete McCann, and accordionist Sonny Barbato. McCaslin, Beckham, and Ambrosio returned for the 2008 follow-up Like Before, Somewhat After, which paid tribute to Keith Jarrett and added guitarist Brad Shepik, with Jamey Haddad appearing on percussion. Playscape issued the ensemble's third album, Listen Both Ways, in 2012; the recording consisted largely of Schuller originals and featured the quintet of Schuller, Beckham, Ambrosio, Shepik, and tenor saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum.
Across his career Schuller has also performed with Joe Lovano (including the 1995 album Rush Hour), Lee Konitz, Nnenna Freelon, Ballin' the Jack, Miles Donahue, and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, among others, and has produced recordings.
